Only Watch 2023: Lots 1 – 16
Held every two years, the Only Watch charity auction of exclusively unique pieces has grown into THE most anticipated watch auction worldwide and features some of the most creative and innovative horology on the planet.
Entries by Ian Skellern
‘Time Piece’ Short Film Featuring Philippe Dufour And Vianney Halter: If You Only Watch One Short Film On Independent Watchmaking, Watch This One
The short documentary film ‘Time Piece’ features two of the world’s best living watchmakers, Philippe Dufour and Vianney Halter, and provides excellent insight into what makes the watches by these masters so special.
Patek Philippe Nautilus: Analysis of How Prices Have Changed Over Four Years – Reprise
How much does a Patek Philippe Nautilus cost? How will Nautilus prices evolve? Answering these questions, as relevant as they are, has become extremely difficult following the bubble formed in the luxury men’s watch market. This article analyzes the price history of 31 Patek Philippe Nautilus models, revealing the models that have gained an absolute value, the most dramatic relative increases, and the influence of case and bracelet material.
Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition: A Beautifully Hand-Finished, Swiss Made Tourbillon for 18,000 Swiss francs is the Bargain of the Year, perhaps the Decade!
Love them or hate them, one thing that most collectors know is that tourbillons are very expensive. That’s all changed with Patria’s Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition costing ‘just’ CHF 18,000 for a beautifully hand finished Swiss Made tourbillon.
The Humble Second: We Can Now Measure It To Incredible Precision, It’s Continually Fluctuating, It’s Getting Longer, And It’s Stuck In 1957. All Because Of The Moon – Reprise
There are two ways to define a day: astronomically by measuring the time between midday to midday and by using a manmade clock. The difference between them is that the length of the former fluctuates while the latter remains fixed. As Ian Skellern explains, the same is true for the humble second.
Cochlea Unique Piece Automaton By Brittany ‘Nico’ Cox: Hare, Snail, Philosophy, History, And Horology. It’s Got It All And Will Make You Smile! – Reprise
Brittany “Nico” Cox is fascinated by looking at philosophical problems from a tactile perspective, and automata are a practical application of these ideas. Cochlea, a unique piece automaton, is the first in a series of ten animated imaginary animals she is creating.
Meet GPHG Academy member Joshua Munchow (short video)
Joshua Munchow kicks off the first short videos highlighting GPHG Academy members. Joshua is Quill & Pad’s resident ‘nerd writer’ and in this short video clip he explains what he does and being in the GPHG Academy.
How a Mechanical Watch Works with Simple to Understand Animations
In theory, a mechanical watch is very simple: it’s ‘simply’ a spring (the mainspring) unwinding at a constant rate with hands attached to gears that rotate as the spring unwinds. Easy! Ian Skellern highly recommends anyone at all interested in mechanical watches to watch this video as it clearly highlights how a mechanical watch works.
The Antikythera Mechanism: Predicting Astronomical Positions and Eclipses 2,000 Years Ago (Video)
The Antikythera mechanism is an Ancient Greek orrery over 2,000 years old. It is the oldest known example of an analog computer and was used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance. Spencer Connor is an engineer who decided to make a modernized reproduction of the Antikythera mechanism. In this video, he explains just how special the intricate clockwork was for its day, and just how complex it is to track the obits of our moon and the planets around the sun.
Watches & Wonders 2023 Round Table: What We Liked and Didn’t Like at the World’s Biggest Watch Fair
Watches and Wonders 2023 ran from Monday, March 27 to Saturday, April 1 at Palexpo in Geneva and was open to the public on the 1st and 2nd of April. It attracted a record 43,000 visitors! That’s nearly double last year’s 22,000 visitors, largely thanks to the opening up of China and Asian countries after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Quill & Pad team was there, and we sat down after the show to discuss what we liked and didn’t like about the 2023 fair.